Improvements to Stafford town centre

[andy w]

I imagine there is simular threads, but I thought a thread on how small improvements would make Stafford a better place.
I know the area round Millbank/Mill St has been upgraded a couple of years ago, but I find it quite danderous for pedestrians. Is the area designated as a 'shared space' or not? I say that because crossing Millbank there is inlaid bricks where you expect a pelican/zebra crossing would be. Do these bricks constitute a crossing? If not they shouldn't be there as they give an impression it is a designated crossing point.
The same can be said about the opening of Mill St by the Post House

 

[Gramaisc]

Indeed - and there used to be a Stop sign as you exit Mill Street onto Greengate Street, but now pedestrians just have to take their chances..

 

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

I think as with everything road based that Staffordshire County Council touch the changes made around Mill Street, Faulty Towers, Bridge Street etc whilst perhaps initially of good intentions have turned out to be a total mess.

Lowering kerbs, putting in block paving, taking away street clutter etc is all well and good but there needs to be some consistency between whether an area is for cars or for people - what we now have is a kind of no mans land where pedestrians fear to tread and where slightly dumb struck looking drivers approach the confusing signage wondering whether they should stay, go, turn around or just morph into thin air.

Furthermore the "restrictions" placed on through traffic along Bridge Street and around Faulty Towers are nothing short of laughable. Drivers ignore the "No Cars or Motorcycles" signs at will and nothing is done about it. I am frankly amazed that no one has been seriously injured around this area.

My own opinion is that Bridge Street, Mill Street and the roads around Faulty Towers should be PROPERLY pedestrianized. Put in rising bollards around these areas to prevent the armies of the blue badges and the lazy feckless from cluttering up these streets.

 

[Jonah]

It really annoyed me when Highways blocked off the route through South Walls to Mill Bank. It means that traffic coming from Weston Road has no option but to travel past Asda, then retail park at The Green, then Tesco, then the railway station to get to the Tenterbanks or the area roundabout. I know you could go round Queensway, Gaol Square, Sainsbury etc but either way is always chock-a-block with traffic. I think they only blocked it due to Faulty Towers being built so the Councillors could have a bit of peace and quiet whilst snoozing at their desks.

Having said that, the half-pedestrianization of that area is a complete mess. I agreed with FDR in that is needs to be totally pedestrianised but I doubt it could ever happen because of public transport. Where would the bus stop on Bridge Street be relocated to?

 

[Gramaisc]

Having said that, the half-pedestrianization of that area is a complete mess. I agreed with FDR in that is needs to be totally pedestrianised but I doubt it could ever happen because of public transport. Where would the bus stop on Bridge Street be relocated to?

They could go to the bus-stations on the Eastern Distributor Road and the Western Access Road - perhaps.

It would be simple enough to just allow access for buses to Bridge Street, surely? And for taxis to leave by the bottom few yards of it, as they do now, anyway.

 

[John Marwood]

Pedestrianise the town from junction 13 to junction 14

Introduce buffalo for the infirm

plant over the roads

turn street furniture into artistic spitoons

jobsagoodun

 

[Jonah]

They could go to the bus-stations on the Eastern Distributor Road and the Western Access Road - perhaps.

It would be simple enough to just allow access for buses to Bridge Street, surely? And for taxis to leave by the bottom few yards of it, as they do now, anyway.

Where are those two roads? Do you mean Queensway and Chell Road?

 

[Gramaisc]

Where are those two roads? Do you mean Queensway and Chell Road?

No - they are merely fictional roads that get discussed on here on a regular basis - one is the extension of Beaconside to Junction 13 - the other is from the Rugby Club roundabout to Halfords.

http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/index.php?threads/castletown-bypass-western-access-road.3388/

http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/ind...-to-revive-the-eastern-distributor-road.7926/

etc.

 

[ChrisLewis]

I think as with everything road based that Staffordshire County Council touch the changes made around Mill Street, Faulty Towers, Bridge Street etc whilst perhaps initially of good intentions have turned out to be a total mess.

Lowering kerbs, putting in block paving, taking away street clutter etc is all well and good but there needs to be some consistency between whether an area is for cars or for people - what we now have is a kind of no mans land where pedestrians fear to tread and where slightly dumb struck looking drivers approach the confusing signage wondering whether they should stay, go, turn around or just morph into thin air.

Furthermore the "restrictions" placed on through traffic along Bridge Street and around Faulty Towers are nothing short of laughable. Drivers ignore the "No Cars or Motorcycles" signs at will and nothing is done about it. I am frankly amazed that no one has been seriously injured around this area.

My own opinion is that Bridge Street, Mill Street and the roads around Faulty Towers should be PROPERLY pedestrianized. Put in rising bollards around these areas to prevent the armies of the blue badges and the lazy feckless from cluttering up these streets.

Great idea - just explain the logic of how my hotel customers get into my car park via a pedestrianised street, as it is 50% of new customers end-up lost somewhere around Stafford,with their Tom Toms chirping incorrect directions on how to get across town, other that small point I agree with the remainder of your post

 

[Gramaisc]

Great idea - just explain the logic of how my hotel customers get into my car park via a pedestrianised street

Shuttle-bus from the Moat House park'n'ride - conveniently situated near Junction 13 - easy to find, even without sat-nav...

..simple.

 

[United57]

Is it my imagination but generally the few succesful towns allow cars. Ludlow springs to mind.

 

[loveatfirstbite]

let cars drive through town! x

 

[andy w]

Driving round French towns for the first time, I was shocked how people just walk into the road without much thought even if there was no crossing there. I take it that pedestrians have a right of way in built up areas, I also noticed that speeds were lower around town and cyclists were given a much wider berth than this country. Now admittedly this was sedate Western France and would expect places like Paris would be a differant matter but wouldn't it be much better if we adopted these measures in our town centres

 

[proactive]

Driving round French towns for the first time, I was shocked how people just walk into the road without much thought even if there was no crossing there. I take it that pedestrians have a right of way in built up areas, I also noticed that speeds were lower around town and cyclists were given a much wider berth than this country. Now admittedly this was sedate Western France and would expect places like Paris would be a differant matter but wouldn't it be much better if we adopted these measures in our town centres

Only if that didn't mean we had to become French.

 

[andy w]

Only if that didn't mean we had to become French.

Nice weather, fresh food, feminine women, cheap wine .....what's not to like

 

[proactive]

feminine women

And what's wrong with English women then?

 

[Glam]

And what's wrong with English women then?

That is just like my 15yr old niece! Let's not forget the obligatory photo taken in the mirror on Facebook, tits pushed out, pouting.

 

[Gramaisc]

..you can have no idea what I had to go through to find that..

 

[John Marwood]

..you can have no idea what I had to go through to find that..

No idea at all... so why not share

 

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

Great idea - just explain the logic of how my hotel customers get into my car park via a pedestrianised street, as it is 50% of new customers end-up lost somewhere around Stafford,with their Tom Toms chirping incorrect directions on how to get across town, other that small point I agree with the remainder of your post

Of course there would be some issues to work around but they are not completely insurmountable. The whole reason I mentioned risings bollards (similar to the ones that are currently used in the main High Street) is for the very reason that they can be dropped to allow vehicles through at non-peak times. There could also be an intercom system or a way of dropping the bollards to access business car parks along Mill Street such as your own – for example when you get a hotel booking you could give the customer a 4 digit keypad code to drop the bollards so that they can get in and out – ditto deliveries. I should imagine you do a large percentage of booking online these days anyway so actually it is relatively straightforward and I have come across it in other places.

Back to the point I made previously there is little point having vehicle restrictions when said restrictions are neither adhered to or enforced. That is what we currently have.